CHISHIMBA Kambwili has warned the PF government to stop stealing or he will continue disclosing the deals going on in President Edgar Lungu’s regime.
And Kambwili has warned that a political ‘Tsunami’ will soon hit the ruling Patriotic Front.
Meanwhile, the Roan PF member of parliament has also Challeged President Lungu to a live debate on national issues where he can also answer allegations of corruption against him than using his ministers to respond.
Kambwili, the former information minister who was recently expelled from the ruling party on Wednesday, defied directives by government agencies for him not to go ahead with his donation to schools in Roan Constituency yesterday.
When the motorcade reached Mpatamatu market, word had already gone round that Kambwili was in the area, forcing residents to throng Mpatamatu Secondary School where he was scheduled to hand over learning equipment worth K500,000 he bought from the UK.
When he arrived at the school, a huge crowd of residents, young and old, burst into songs, praising Kambwili while in other songs denouncing President Lungu and Luanshya mayor Nathan Chanda.
The headmaster and her deputy reportedly left the school, leaving only a female head of department Isabel Bwanga to act in their places.
Kambwili donated desktop computers, laptops, chairs, tables, interactive boards, printers, copiers and musical equipment.
“I received a call from the head teacher that I should not go ahead to donate these teaching and learning aids until I get clearance from the DEBS. I told him that head teacher, I don’t report to the DEBS, President or yourself, I report to the people of Roan Constituency and whether you like it or not, I will donate because I have been donating to this school for a long time; what has changed now?”
Kambwili wondered amid cheers from parents and pupils.
However, Kambwili refused to donate half the same number of items to Roan Antelope Secondary School where a deputy head teacher, a Mr Mwila, initially resisted but after a closed door meeting with Kambwili’s entourage, reluctantly accepted but only agreed to have a few pupils witness and that the donation be made at the head master’s car park behind the administration block to which Kambwili objected and ordered that the truck instead delivers the items to Twashuka Secondary School.
The school authorities’ behaviour infuriated parents who stormed the administration department and severely warned Mwila and a few teachers present of serious consequences if any pupil was chased from school for non-payment of fees.
“Mundolekeshe sana ine (look at me very well), just try to chase any pupil, mukantanfishepofye umwana wandi ati indalama shama computer. Tukesaiponona tukaikomena muno mwine elo tukaiponone teti umuntu umwine aleta ifyabupe mwakana uyo wine Lungu akutumine alitala acitapo ifyamusango uyu? Mukeshe mukacimona (chase my child over money for purchasing computers, we will fight, we will lock ourselves in this office and fight, you can’t refuse gifts from a person, is this same Lungu who has sent you has he ever done such a thing? You try it you will see,”
said a visibly angry parent.
Pupils at the school joined in the condemnation chorus after Kambwili informed them that he was diverting his gifts to another school because government had declined.
At a briefing later, Kambwili, who touched on many issues said:
“I know a lot, if they want this to stop, let them stop stealing. Muleke ukwiba pantu mukesa kakwa, mukabutauka nga mapanga [You will be jailed, you will be running like rats when a serious government comes into power. If you are a ruling party and cracks start emerging, people within your party across the country start leaving and forming other structures, just know that there is a problem. There is a Tsunami coming, not a crack, a Tsunami. And iwe mwaice [home affairs minister Stephen] Kampyongo and [Copperbelt minister] Bowman Lusambo and others, stop talking on behalf of the President. Stop answering for him, let him answer for himself, when did he stop talking?”
He said he had every right to criticise President Lungu’s wrongs as he was a State property.
Kambwili said Kampyongo had no right to threaten him over his criticism of President Lungu.
He said President Lungu was not a private individual but a public figure, who should be used to public scrutiny.
“The presidency is an institution and anybody who is President is no longer a private individual but a State property. And when one becomes President or a public figure, he is supposed to be scrutinised and criticised when things are not going well. So there is no way you can say ‘do not criticise the President’ because when you are President, you must know that criticism is part of the job,”
Kambwili said.
He said he was not scared to take on President Lungu on issues of corruption because he (Kambwili) did not have any skeletons.
Kambwili said if he was corrupt, President Lungu would have crucified him by now as he hates him a lot.
He said he had every right to question where President Lungu was getting funds for the Presidential Empowerment Fund, which was being given to marketeers.
“Let the money be provided for as a budget line if it’s truly meant for marketeers so that Parliament can approve it because there is no way we can let that money, over K10 million be given out without knowing where it is coming from. So do not threaten us but answer when questioned because we will ask when we feel there is an act of money laundering taking place,”
Kambwili said.
He said the most corrupt individuals were those in government, whom he warned would pay back when time comes.
Kambwili said the money that had been allocated to the new Ndola airport was too much and that a part of it would have been invested in the agriculture sector for job opportunities and boost the economy.
“Mpongwe farm was brought about by one investor and the face of Mpongwe has changed but as government, you decide to spend US$522 million on an airport and I don’t see anything wrong with [Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe airport] because I usually land there; why can’t part of the money be invested in agriculture and make a replica of Mpongwe in every town of the Copperbelt so that the economy can grow? But because people want commissions, they choose an airport!”
he said.
And Kambwili alleged that Lusambo got K250,000 from a Chinese company in Chingola on the pretext that President Lungu had sent him.
He alleged Lusambo later used the money in his Kabushi campaigns.
“Today he is building an upstair house in Lusaka; where has he gotten the money in one year? We all know that he was a die hard in blue overalls and in one year he is building,” Kambwili alleged.
He also alleged that Lusambo again used President Lungu’s name to collect another sum of money from the poor who were empowered by Levy Mwanawasa.
Kambwili said Lusambo was a nobody, who would sell disco lights to him, but was now building an expensive house and buying fuel tankers.
He asked Lusambo to take back the money as there was no way he could acquire all the properties he currently had in just a year of being minister.
Kambwili said after the Chingola deal, the relationship between President Lungu and Lusambo had become stronger.
“I will give the President a benefit of the doubt because it’s possible that you [Lusambo] just used the President’s name to collect money but let me tell you, take back that money, it belongs to the poor. I am sure that’s why you are so close with the President because of what you did in Chingola and I am reliably told that he went to South Africa to buy three, four tankers for fuel but he is now buying things from the money he collected,”
he said.
Kambwili dared Lusambo to sue him if he was lying.
He also said Kampyongo was another government servant who was slowly becoming rich.
Kambwili said the PF national youth chairman had been transformed from a money changer to a man with more than 12 expensive cars in his garage and was building mansions in Lusaka.
“If you go to Kampyongo’s house, you will find over 12 brand new cars, expensive cars. We all know who he was, now he has gotten the money and he wants to threaten me! No, I will not be bruised, it’s you who will be bruised and if you want, dare me, I will disclose more details,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kambwili disclosed that President Lungu and his team formed a political party in five days as plan B in case the PF did not pick him in 2014.
He wondered why the government was telling Mwenya Musenge that papers for registration of his party would be processed in three months when President Lungu, at the time Minister of Home Affairs, registered his party in five days.
Kambwili said the PF were scared of Musenge’s party.